Fighting Beside You, Always
by KiliTheDwarf7
Summary: There is a war upon Middle Earth. Death is roaming the land, threatening to take even the most innocent of lives. Idrial is prepared to kill every single enemy she meets. She is ready to unite with Legolas and bring down the armies of Sauron. But will she be able to defeat the evils of Middle Earth? Will they come together to fight? Or will it just end in heartbreak?
1. Helm's Deep

Idrial's POV:

I stood there just in front of the dominating building of Helm's Deep, my sword at my side. I awaited the arrival of King Theoden and his soldiers, many villagers from Rohan had been escorted here away from the dangers the Uruk-Hai bring. Many are young, too young, to be experiencing the pains of family members and friends being killed right before them. A young women who goes by the name of Morwen told me that they had been attacked but luckily Theoden and his soldiers were able to fight off the orcs and Uruk-Hai in order for the villagers to escape with their lives to the Keep.

Across the distance I spotted them, my elf eyes adjusting where human eyes couldn't. I saw the King alongside many soldiers, some were wounded and some were left unscathed. A dwarf and an elf rode together and seemed to not want to slit one another's throats. Peculiar. I called for Eowyn to inform her of her uncle's safe arrival. She came running like a young child to their parent. I suppose King Theoden is Eowyn's father almost. He has acted as the father figure for both her and her brother Eomer since their father was slain in battle and their mother died of grief and sadness. It is a tragic way to go, through sadness, but many succumb to the danger of love and sacrifice themselves to being bounded to another soul; only leading themselves into a pit of grief and loneliness once their beloved has left.

The men of Rohan rode up to the Keep and Theoden greeted myself and Eowyn with a look of triumph, pride and pleasure.

"My dear, Eowyn, you made it here safely!" he embraced her after having dismounted his horse who was tended to by a handful of stablemen.

"Yes, Uncle, only 3 villagers were wounded and 2 were killed by the Uruk-Hai," she said to him, "they are all currently being seen to. Are there any injuries in your soldiers?"

"There are no serious injuries, my dear, but we shall need to be checked upon to ensure we are all safe when the Uruks attack tonight."

"Yes, Uncle. Send them down into the main hall. My dear friend, Idrial, here will escort the remains of your soldiers to the weaponry and armoury." Eowyn glided away, followed by a few Rohan men.

"Idrial! A strange sight to see you here! Tell me of your travels, please."

"Of course, my King," I replied with a slight curtesy, "but first, I must escort you all to the weaponry and armoury as my lady Eowyn asks."

"Of course," he then turns to address the Rohirrim, "We are to go to the weaponry and then you are to spar with one another in preparation for tonight. We have a heavy battle on our hands and it is up to you to defend this Keep! For Rohan!"

They all cheered in unison while I just smiled and looked at the blonde elf standing before me. His eyes shone in the sunlight, a beautiful blue colour and he seemed to be examining myself as though he were testing with his eyes my level of skill on the battlefield. I began to make my way to the weaponry and I found myself conversing with the elf.

"What is your name, _mellonamin_?"

"Legolas, Son of Thranduil, of the Woodland Realm. And you, my lady?"

"I am Idrial, elf of Lothlorien. I serve the Lady Galadriel."

"And, may I ask what brings you here to Helm's Deep?"

"I have been travelling away from Lothlorien. My duties no longer lie there. I go where I am needed and, as of late, I am needed here, to aid Rohan in a time of need. May I ask you the same, Legolas?"

"I was travelling with a company of nine; three of whom have fallen. Only myself and the dwarf remain together, two left us and two were taken by force to the tower of Isengard by servants of Saruman. The three of us who remained travelled to Rohan after our wizard companion and another fell. Sadly, only the dwarf and I made it on our way here."

"I see. May I ask the names of those in your company?"

"Of course, my lady. Our four hobbits were Masters Frodo, Samwise, Meriadoc and Peregrin, the wizard was Gandalf the Grey, our men were Boromir, Son of Denethor and Aragorn, Son of Arathorn. My dwarven companion was Master Gimli, Son of Gloin who is walking just behind us."

"I see. I have heard of your company, although I should rather say Fellowship. The Lady of the Wood informed me of you and your fellowship though she did not mention the falling of Boromir of Gondor. Oh, and Aragorn has not fallen. His time has not yet come, _mellon_, the King of Gondor still lives."

I then quickened my pace, leaving Legolas to watch me as I unlocked the door to the armoury with grace, delicacy and also showing off slightly to impress the elf. I smirked as he walked past and headed straight for the bow and arrows stored in the weaponry.

"For those of you that wish to enhance your armour then just step through that door and take the provisions that you need." I called out to inform the Rohirrim soldiers.

**Thanks for reading! I hope you guys like this, I have a lot of ideas for this one and hopefully you will enjoy the rest of this story. Leave suggestions as to what you want to see happen to Idrial and Legolas. Also, I will try and upload at least once a week, if not more.**

**Leave a review!**

**KiliTheDwarf7 :)x**


	2. Preparing For Battle

Idrial's POV:

Rohirrim warriors readied themselves for the battle that was soon to come. Swords, spears, axes and bows stood arranged in rows throughout the sectioned room of the armoury. My eyes darted straight to Legolas, who had been admiring the large array of bows though they did not seem to compare with the extravagantly crafted bow that lay across his back. He seemed to have noticed my looking at him as his eyes flew away from the weapons to meet the curiosity that swam deep within my eyes. I quickly looked away towards a small collection of soldiers that were contemplating which shield would offer them the best protection against oncoming orcs.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw him smirk, clearly amused by my slight embarrassment of being caught looking at him. King Theoden stepped into the room causing the place to be reduced to silence as we all watched him, intently listening to his orders.

"We have little time before the enemy of Isengard arrives. You must do all that you can to prepare yourselves. Train with each other. Help train the less experienced men of Rohan. Strength is vital, do not spend your energy unwisely. Be ready for tonight. The battle shall no doubt last throughout the night and may pass on through to the day," Theoden advised to his band of warriors. I knew from the tone of his voice that he was concerned for his warriors for they would be facing a battle they had never had to experience before. I felt sorry for the younger men of Rohan. Some who had never picked up a weapon were being relied on to succeed. There was so much pressure and weight forced onto their shoulders. Luckily, I had planned ahead and sent word to the Lady Galadriel that we would need archers. And plenty of them.

"Idrial, if you are not busy, then would you mind assisting me in patrolling the Keep. I must check upon those who are being seen to for their injuries." King Theoden called over to me.

"Of course, My Lord. I would be most delighted. Maybe I can tell you of my travels as we do so?"

"Yes, yes, I would most like to hear your stories! Knowing you they were full of adventure and danger!" He chuckled to himself, causing myself and Legolas, who was nearby, to smile.

"You know me too well, My Lord." I replied, "Legolas, would you care to join us? Considering you have yet to be reunited with Aragorn since he was injured in battle." I offered to the tall, blonde elf.

"It would be my pleasure, _arwenamin_." His voice sounded so relaxed when speaking Elvish, I always found myself being entranced by the Elvish language. Especially so when it came from the mouth of someone such as Legolas. Handsome and courageous. He has incredibly piercing blue eyes, similar to a sapphire's shine. I could not help but smile at him, his eyes seemed to put me into a semi-trance. Stop it, Idrial. Focus. Anyway, the three of us began to walk and were soon after joined by Gimli, Legolas' companion. I told them all of my adventure from Lothlorien to Helm's Deep.

"I had planned on visiting Rivendell and staying there to visit Lord Elrond but heard of some trouble with the Dwarves in the Blue Mountains so I ventured off towards Ered Luin as I once knew someone who hailed from there. Their family had remained there and knew of me for I had kept in contact with this Dwarf. Once I arrived, a small orc pack came and attacked. Many of them there were not well-experienced with battling wargs so I had my hands full. Luckily, very few of the Dwarves there were killed but I was left concerned for them and stayed close by. Since then I have only visited Rivendell but stayed for a short while. Then, I made my way here after I received word from the Lady Galadriel that a darkness was spreading towards Rohan and Edoras." Gimli seemed quite struck by my story, clearly shocked by the fact that an Elf had helped his people. Legolas showed a similar look of surprise at first but his expression then softened with respect for me. We shared a smile as Theoden began talking to us, in a very much one-sided conversation. Something about the elf beside me was different from those I had previously met. He was much more pleasant to talk to. Most Elves are very gracious and don't often listen to stories involving races they deem lesser than their own. Especially Dwarves. Legolas, on the other hand, listened intently to the way I described Rivendell and Ered Luin. He looked almost fascinated by the way I spoke of them both.

Theoden stopped walking with us when he arrived at the main healing area and spoke with his nephew, Eomer. Eowyn was close by to her brother; she needed to be with him right now. Mainly because of the fate her cousin, Theodred, had just suffered.

"My Lady, Eowyn. Would you mind escorting us to Aragorn? My companions here are keen to see him after the battle."

"Oh, yes. Thank you for reminding me, Idrial. I was meaning to go and check up on him and his wounds." Eowyn then joined us and we chatted for a good long time. It was nice to have Eowyn with me since I am constantly surrounded by men on the battlefield. Although, I had noticed Eowyn practising wielding a sword and she definitely had a natural talent for swordfighting. Theoden was the one stopping her. He thought that the battlefield was no place for a woman. Well, except me. I had to test my strength to him by sparring with him. His face was a picture when I beat him in mere minutes. If only there had been more people around to witness the shock upon his face.

We soon found Aragorn talking to a young looking boy who was geared up in some armour. It pained me to see him there, holding a large sword that was miles too big for him. He looked scared. He should be. Legolas and Gimli seemed unaffected by the young boy preparing for war. I left the three of them to talk about Aragorn's survival and asked the little boy to come with me.

The least I could do was teach him some techniques. Then he might survive that little bit longer. Who knows, maybe he survives to see the end of the battle. Or, maybe he gets his whole life taken from him in just a few seconds…

_**Arwenamin - **_**My Lady**

**So, this one was a little difficult to write in places but I hope you liked it! Don't forget to leave a review and tell me what you think! **

**Thanks,**

**KiliTheDwarf7 :)x**


	3. Riding To Battle

Idrial's POV:

Rain fell from the sky. Darkness consumed the surroundings. A war was about to begin. The elves of Lothlorien had come and were stationed on the wall, preparing to fire arrows at the many orcs and Uruk-Hai that threatened to kill us. Myself, Legolas and Gimli were ready on the wall. I always hated this part before a battle. The constant tension of when the attack will come. Luckily, we had eyes on our side. Elves have much better vision than any other race. And we were prepared to use it to our advantage.

So far, I could not see any signs of intruders but I knew they were coming. Armed and ready to slay. Such a shame they will not live to see the next day. I was determined to make this battle a short one. I could not bear the thought of being at war for longer than a few hours. I had never really been involved in a battle as large as this. Except for one, the Battle of the Five Armies. That had been torture on my muscles. Legolas and I shared a glance. We had become close in the past few hours of practising and sparring. I did not want to have to see him fall in battle. Or Gimli for that matter. Their deaths would definitely have an effect on me. The three of us are experienced fighters and we should all make it through the night, but you can never be sure.

Something that did feel strange was the absence of Gandalf the Grey. I had expected to see him here after hearing the Lady Galadriel speak of his fellowship so fondly. Legolas had told me in depth of what had happened to Gandalf. Fascination had flooded into my mind at that story. I've known Gandalf for a long time and to hear that he fell to another Maiar spirit was hard. My mind can't always comprehend the fact that there are corrupted people within their races that will easily turn on one of their own. Orcs, strangely enough, are corrupted elves, though they bear no resemblance.

It seemed to come all of a sudden but I saw a large group of figures. Legolas saw them too, looking at me with a slight look of concern. He did not believe we would win this fight.

"_Lle desiel, mellon?" _He nodded in response to my question.

"_Quel marth, mellonamin."_

We looked back over the battlefield. They had gotten much closer and we raised our bows, arrows at the ready. I waited for Aragorn's cry to shoot.

"_Caela ie'lle!"_ He cried. I released the arrow. It felt good to see the front line of orcs fall, their blood dripping onto the floor. More and more arrows flew from my bow, until I saw orcs begin to set up ladders.

"Legolas!" I shouted, "Ladders!" We ran to where the ladders were and stabbed the orcs who had dared to climb onto the wall. It took a while but we eventually knocked them down. Gimli swung violently at one with his axe, taking off the head of an orc in the process. More and more orcs ran to set up more ladders, only to have them knocked down by us. An orc carrying a bomb on his back ran towards the centre of the wall and let it explode. I tripped on some debris and fell. Or I would have fallen if Legolas had not grabbed my arm.

"_Diola lle"_

_"__Seasamin"_

I made my way down some steps to help fight where we had suffered the breach. A large throng of orcs ran through but I swung my sword and did not stop. Legolas was still fighting beside me and we were struggling. There were just too many orcs. We had to fall back into the keep. Legolas had the same thoughts as we began to make out way over, still cutting down orc after orc. We raced up the steps, into the keep and killed all of the orcs that tried to follow us.

Once we had made it to the safety of the keep, Aragorn had devised a plan.

"Ride out with me," he said to Theoden, "Let Gondor and Rohan ride together."

Theoden nodded. He motioned for everyone to mount their horses and prepare to face the mass of orcs and Uruk-Hai. Legolas and Gimli still shared a horse and they were waiting next to Aragorn. I walked up beside Theoden on my steed.

"Are you ready, My King?"

"As ready as I shall ever by, Idrial." We bowed our heads to each other and left the stables. As we approached the gates, two men dismounted and opened them for us. The remaining Rohan soldiers, Aragorn, Theoden, Gimli, Legolas and myself galloped, we slayed many orcs and Uruk-Hai. I noticed as we galloped that the sun was beginning to rise. Hopefully this battle ended soon.

A bright light shone from the East. Distracted by the sudden surge of light, I slowed slightly but still swung my sword at the oncoming orcs. I could not yet see what had caused the light but Aragorn seemed to know. I heard him whisper, "Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth day, at dawn look to the east." The words sounded as though they came from…Gandalf. Could it be? Had the wizard come to aid us in battle? Yes, and he had brought more Rohirric soldiers. Any faith that Legolas had previously lacked was now restored. He became much more concentrated and shot countless more orcs.

After what felt like a few more hours, it was over. The war was done. For now. We had slain the army of Isengard. Well, weakened it at least. No doubt Saruman had many more slaves to do his bidding for him. Soon after there were no more living orcs, I dismounted and ran to Legolas.

"_Lle naa belegohtar. Lle ume quel." _I complimented him.

"As did you, My Lady." I grinned at him and he returned the smile.

Tonight there would be a feast to celebrate our victory. Although I fear that we may have to wait until we have rid the world of Saruman and his army before we can truly celebrate. Nevertheless, Legolas and I hugged as a mini-celebration. The two of us had fought side-by-side all night and I'm glad that we have become closer else I may not have survived the night.

**Elvish:**

_Lle desiel, mellon? - _Are you ready, friend?

_Quel marth, mellonamin. - _Good luck, my friend.

_Caela ie'lle!_ - Have at thee!

**_Diola lle. _****- Thank you.**

_Seasamin. - _My pleasure.

_Lle naa belegohtar. Lle ume quel. _- You are a mighty warrior. You did well.


	4. Isengard

Idrial's POV:

Just as I had suspected, Theoden planned for us to ride out to Isengard and confront Saruman the White. He had decided, though, to wait a day before we rode. I found myself spending time with Eowyn, who kept on asking me to train her to be a better swordfighter. I know she means well but the battlefield is not the place for a young maiden like her. A new arrival to the Keep gave me the opportunity to leave Eowyn with her duties of caring for the sick and injured. The new arrival was a small company, consisting of a Gondorian, a Dwarf of Moria, a Dunedain Ranger and a maiden of Rohan. This maiden though was nothing like Eowyn. She wore leather armour and had two axes sitting upon her back. Memories of death and war lingered in the corners of her eyes, giving her a strong appearance.

I recognised the Ranger. I first met him on one of my travels. Elegost was his name, I believe. He stood much taller than the maiden of Rohan and the Dwarf. His strength lay in a bow and arrow but, if my mind was not failing me, he also had a natural talent with a sword.

The Dwarf was not pleased to be greeted by me. Another stereotypical Dwarf. If one Elf is bad, then surely the rest are. Wonderful. The Gondorian was the first to speak. He had a shield decorated with the tree of Gondor. Most likely a Steward of Gondor. I saw the evil of the Nazguls buried deep within his eyes. Stabbed by a morgul blade, I would assume.

"Good day, My Lady Elf. I am Berethor, Steward of Gondor. I travel here with Morwen of Rohan, Hadhod of Moria and Elegost of the Dunedain. We come to Helm's Deep to aid King Theoden restore the land threatened by the evils of Isengard."

"Your aid is much appreciated, Berethor of Gondor. We have fought all through the night and many of our soldiers are wounded. It would be most kind of you to aid Rohan in its time of need. We are to ride out to Isengard soon. I am sure King Theoden will allow you to join us. Now, if you will follow me, I shall take you to him."

As we walked, I spoke to Morwen of how she came to find the others.

"They were travelling through Rohan and saved me from a band of orcs that had separated from the army sent last night. I was struggling to defend myself but Berethor soon came to my help."

"I see. Well, you can always trust a Gondorian to save a young maiden's life. Though judging by your weapons, you are not as helpless as one lets on." She smiled at this compliment. It was a ghost of a smile, as if she had not smiled for years and had forgotten how.

After a few short minutes of walking, we found King Theoden in the armoury with Aragorn, Gandalf, Legolas, Gimli and Gamling. They all turned as we entered the room.

"Ah, Idrial, I was hoping you'd show up. I have a few questions for you. Oh, and who are your companions?"

"My Lord, they are visitors of Rohan, here to aid us in our fight against Isengard. They are Berethor of Gondor, Morwen of Rohan, Hadhod of Moria and Elegost of the Dunedain. They arrived earlier this morning and have offered their help. They wish to accompany us to Isengard and stand with us as we face Saruman." After speaking, I moved to the side of the room beside Legolas. It felt comfortable to be near him. Natural.

"Rohan thanks you for offering your aid. We are in the midst of a dangerous war and need all of the soldiers we can find. I trust you are all aware of the risks?"

"We are prepared for battle and shall aid Rohan in its time of need." Berethor said, eyeing Gandalf curiously.

"Gandalf?" Elegost started, "Did you not fall after the battle with the Balrog?"

"Ah, you recognise my face, Elegost. It was Gandalf the Grey who fell. I am Gandalf the White."

Awe swam across their faces, except for Morwen who, I believe, had never met the Wizard before.

Hours passed before we set off to Isengard. I was grooming my horse when Legolas came up behind me.

"Are you ready to leave, My Lady_?_" I was warming up to Legolas, I felt happy whenever I was around him. I was content with just looking into his eyes but I knew that I couldn't exactly do that. Especially not around other people.

"Yes, I should think so."

"Good, Theoden is just finalising some plans and then we will be leaving."

"Okay, thank you, Legolas." I smiled at him and he returned it. The smile did not only sit at his mouth, but it stretched up into his sparkling, blue eyes. He turned as he heard Aragorn call his name and then excused himself to go and talk to the Ranger. Legolas looked amazing as he did so. The light of the candles gave his face a slight golden glow and he just looked flawless. Even more flawless than most Elves do. Idrial, stop it. You cannot think of him like that. He is an ally, not a lover. This could not be happening. No, I would not let it. I would not allow myself to feel such feelings about Legolas. I will not succumb to the evils of love and romance. Never. At least, I hope I don't.

I tried my best to avoid Legolas as we rode out to Isengard. I had Elegost on the back of my horse and we chatted comfortably along the way. I asked him questions of his travels with the Man, Dwarf and Maiden. Apparently, the Gondorian was on his way to aid Boromir of Gondor. In that moment, I did not want to be the one to tell him of the grave news or Boromir's passing. I shall leave that to Aragorn, considering he is Isildur's heir and therefore destined to be King of Gondor. We emerged from a small gathering of trees and saw the huge, stone tower looming above us. There were no orcs about but that did not mean they weren't hiding. I felt Elegost draw his bow and take an arrow from his quiver. Clearly he did not believe that the coast was clear.

"Welcome, My Lords, to Isengard!" One of the Hobbits said as he stood up, upon the rock.

Gimli then proceeded to scold them, "You young rascals. A merry hunt you've led us on and now we find you feasting and … and smoking! They must have been Merry and Pippin. I now recognised their faces from looking in the mirror at Lothlorien.

The other Hobbit, Pippin I believe, said, "We are sitting on a field of victory enjoying a few well-earned comforts. The salted pork is particularly good!" He slurred his words slightly, probably from the pipeweed they were smoking.

Gimli then replied hungrily, "Salted pork, eh?" While Gandalf only tutted. Hobbits.

"We're under orders from Treebeard who's taken over management of Isengard." Merry informed us. The name Treebeard rings a bell, though I can't quite put my finger on it.

Our large group, now including the Hobbits made our way to the base of Saruman's tower. I looked up at the top of the tower and saw the White Wizard gazing down at us. I glanced in Legolas' direction and saw an indifferent look upon his pale face. We slowed as we approached a rock on which sat two Hobbits.

"Be careful. Even in defeat, Saruman is dangerous." Gandalf warned us all. He had previously told me that Saruman was the most powerful of the five Wizards in Middle Earth. He was also the most dangerous as he was in league with the Dark Lord, Sauron.

The White Wizard atop the tower's voice boomed down onto us all, "You have fought many wars and slain many men Theoden King and made peace afterwards. Can we not take counsel together as we once did, my old friend? Can we not have peace you and I?"

"We shall have peace…. We shall have peace when you answer for the burning of the Westfold and the children that lie dead there! We shall have peace when the lives of the soldiers whose bodies were hewn even as they lay dead against the gates of the Hornburg… are avenged! When you hang from a gibbet for the sport of your own crows… we shall have peace!" Theoden shouted up to him.

"Gibbets and crows! Dotard! What do you want Gandalf Grayhame? Let me guess… the key of Orthanc? Or perhaps the keys of Barad Dûr itself? Along with the crowns of the seven Kings and the rods of the Five Wizards!"

Gandalf's voice then called up to Saruman, "Your treachery has already cost many lives. Thousands more are now at risk. But you could save them Saruman. You were deep in the enemy's counsel."

"So you have come here for information. I have some for you." Saruman held up the Palantir, "Something festers in the heart of Middle Earth. Something that you have failed to see. But the great eye has seen it! Even now he presses his advantage. His attack will come soon. You are all going to die! But you know this don't you Gandalf? You cannot think that this Ranger will ever sit upon the throne of Gondor. This exile, crept from the shadows will never be crowned King. Gandalf does not hesitate to sacrifice those who are closest to him… those he professes to love! Tell me, what words of comfort did you give the Halfling before you sent him to his doom? The path that you have set him on can only lead to death." This caused Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli to react. They had obviously grown close to the young Hobbit before they parted ways. Merry had nothing but anger in his eyes as he looked up at Saruman but Pippin was more worried for Frodo.

"I've heard enough! Shoot him! Stick an arrow in his gob!" Gimli called from behind Legolas' back. Elegost, who had an arrow already in his bow, raised it and aimed for Saruman.

"No! Come down Saruman and your life will be spared!" Gandalf shouted, waving his arm towards Elegost and Legolas, making them put their bows down. An extremely pale, worm-like creature stepped up from behind Saruman. It was Theoden who addressed him.

"Grima! You need not follow him! You were not always as you are now. You were once a man of Rohan. Come down." Ah, so this was Grima Wormtongue. Eowyn had told me about him. A giant filth of a man.

Saruman scoffed at this, "A man of Rohan? What is the house of Rohan but a thatched barn where brigands drink in the reek and their brats roll on the floor with the dogs? The victory at Helm's Deep does not belong to you Theoden Horse Master. You are a lesser son of greater sires!"

"Grima…. Come down! Be free of him!"

"Free? He will never be free!" This caused Grima offence and he started to speak but was knocked down by Saruman.

Gandalf tried to get the information from the Wizard, "Saruman! You were deep in the enemy's counsel. Tell us what you know!" Saruman turned but before he could answer Gandalf, Grima pulled out a knife and stabbed the White Wizard and pushed him to his death. He landed on a spike on a giant wheel below. I gasped in shock and saw Legolas' head whip around to look at me. He gave me a comforting look and reached out to grab my hand. He gently squeezed it and let me know that he was there for me. All without saying a word. I half-smiled and saw the Palantir drop from Saruman's hand as the wheel turned.

Gandalf trotted over to the water and wrapped it in a large blanket of cloth. A Palantir is a highly dangerous object to look at, let alone touch.

"Send word to all our allies and to every corner of Middle Earth that still stands free. The enemy moves against us. We need to know where he will strike."


	5. Return To Edoras

Idrial's POV:

Once we had finished in Isengard, Theoden announced we would be returning to Edoras after we got back to Helm's Deep. Excitement flooded through me at the thought of going to the home of the Horse-Lords. I only been once, when I was much younger and I remembered very little of it apart from the giant hall in which King Theoden lived. Wanting to get to Helm's Deep as quickly as possible, I sped up on my horse.

After we arrived at Helm's Deep, our group split up and organised all of the citizens of Rohan together to ensure they all made it home to Edoras safely. Hopefully, not too many of their homes had been destroyed or burned down. As we had to keep the villagers together, I could not go cantering in the fields. You get a rush when you are galloping at a high speed. It's as if you are just in a continuous loop. The wind brushes past you and caresses your face. There's a huge sense of freedom when riding fast; no one can take away the joy I get when I'm riding my horse. However, I was unable to feel such joy today as we needed to stay with the villagers. I no longer shared my horse with Elegost, who had been given a horse from Theoden. It had been Theodred's but now that he is gone, there's no use just keeping him in the stables. Legolas and I were trotting side-by-side and talking about the celebrations that were no doubt going to be occurring. Gimli was keen to show off his natural drinking skill. Dwarves tend to drink a lot of ale when they get the chance but I knew that if he and I were to have a drinking competition, I would win. We Elves don't often react to alcohol in the same way that Men or Dwarves do. Our bodies can handle more alcohol.

Fangorn Forest was sitting to our right as we continued on to Edoras; its trees just beginning to thin out as we got further away from Helm's Deep and Isengard. Then I saw it. The tall wall surrounding Edoras. It looked so much more majestic than I remembered. Finally, I had returned. Legolas noticed me staring in awe and wonder at the huge structure.

"Have you never been to Edoras before, My Lady?" he asked me.

"I have. Once. It was amazing. I was about eight years when my mother and father decided to take me to see King Theoden in his halls. It was breathtakingly beautiful. I can barely remember it now but all I know is that is hasn't changed in the slightest." I let out a peaceful sigh. And smiled. I was happy to be here. Happy to be in a place of royalty. Honour. And peace.

I waited by the gates to allow the villagers to enter their home before taking my horse into the stables and then walking with Morwen up to Theoden's halls.

"So, are you happy to be home?" I asked the Maiden of Rohan.

"How could I not? This may not be my village, but it's one step closer. It'll be strange entering King Theoden's halls. I have never before been allowed access and now… Now I can go in and celebrate the victory of the Horse-Lords. It's overwhelming."

"I know the feeling. I have only been to Edoras once before and it was one of the best experiences of my life. It is definitely fulfilling being able to return."

She nodded in agreement, "The celebrations tonight will be spectacular. I can only imagine the extravagancy of the King's plans."

I chuckled. "Yes, I would not be surprised if Theoden had big plans for tonight. I would also not be surprised if he had convinced Gandalf of letting off some of his famous fireworks. That would make the night unforgettable."

"Yes? I have never seen Gandalf's fireworks. I would have guessed that someone like him would be too busy with himself to do something like that."

"You would expect so, wouldn't you? Well, before Gandalf became a White Wizard he was much more of a happy soul; much less serious. His firework displays were fantastic to watch. I can remember visiting The Shire long ago for this big celebration. The Hobbits were even more impressed than I was!" I laughed and smiled, reminiscent of such fond memories.

Several hours later, the celebrations began. Ale was poured into hundreds of tankards. Everyone was enjoying themselves so much. Legolas and Gimli had gotten into a drinking competition. Now, I don't normally get involved with any sort of bet but when it was between these two, how could I not? Legolas won by miles. When he was only just beginning to feel the effects of the alcohol, Gimli had fallen back off his seat.

"Dwarves," I said to Hadhod, who had for Gimli when I said that Legolas would win, "They're such weak drinkers." I giggled at his expression.

"Watch it lassie, else I'll have to fight ya outside!" We laughed together. Dwarves were not as bad as my family had depicted them to be. Everyone I grew up with had stressed the fact that they were 'horrible creatures' and 'stubborn beyond anything' and 'too selfish to do something for their child'. Now I had come to know two of them, I realised how false those accusations were. Okay, the stubborn thing was partially true but still, Dwarves are not too bad.

My attention was soon drawn to Merry and Pippin who stood upon a table and sang a merry tune. It was very Shire-like and I would not expect anything more from them. As they sang, Legolas grabbed my hand and twirled me round. I giggled as we danced to their merry tune.

_Oh you can search far and wide, _

_You can drink the whole town dry,  
><em>_  
><em>_But you'll never find a beer so brown, _

_As the one we drink in our hometown._

__

_You can drink your fancy ales, _

_You can drink them by the flagon_

_But the only brew for the brave and true, _

_Comes from the Green Dragon!_

At the end of their little Shire ditty, Legolas bowed and kissed my hand, causing me to giggle even more. I curtseyed at his gesture and made my over to Morwen with a smile on my face.

"Well, well, well! Someone's been having fun!" She taunted. I blushed slightly at the fact she noticed my dancing with Legolas.

"I can tell you like him," she continued, "by the way you look at him. By the way you turned to him for comfort when Saruman was killed. By the way you so interact so comfortably with him."

I blushed even harder, "Don't be ridiculous, Morwen. I have no such feelings for Legolas. He is just a friend."

"Hah!" she snorted, in a highly unladylike manner, "If the two of you are just friends then I'm an orc's lover!" I couldn't help but smirk at her comment.

"Then I guess you better run home to your darling orc husband." I said as I walked in Eowyn's direction, flashing her a grin.

"He likes you too y'know." I stopped. "I've seen the looks he gives you. As though there is no other woman on the planet." No, no, no. This could not be happening. "It's as if you are his-"

"Stop!" I spun and shouted. "Don't. Even. Think. About. Saying. That. Word." I gave her a menacing look, telling her to be silent. When I got to Eowyn she looked concerned. Worried.

"Is everything okay, Idrial?"

No, it wasn't.

I allowed myself to fall for him.

And he has done the same.

I vowed that I would never succumb to the dangers of love and romance.

I broke that vow.

Then as this ran through my brain, everything went dark.


	6. Isolation

Idrial's POV:

I slowly opened my eyes and saw Eowyn sitting beside me. I can't remember much of the previous events. There was dancing and I could remember something happening with Morwen.

"How are you feeling, My Lady?" Eowyn asked me in pure concern.

"Not too bad, thank you. I don't remember too much, though."

"Well, you had been talking to Morwen and then came over to me. It was then you blacked out and fainted," she informed me. As soon as she said that, everything came flooding back to me. Morwen had been telling me of Legolas' apparent attraction for me. And then she said he looked at me like I was his...one. No, it could not be true. There is no way that it could be true.

"Yes, I remember now. Has Legolas been to visit me while I have been sleeping?"

"He has barely left your side, My Lady. Aragorn forced him to leave not too long ago."

"I see, thank you, My Lady Eowyn." I had sat up by now and stood up. My head no longer felt painful and I could walk without falling over. Slowly, I made my way towards the main hall where I guessed that Theoden and the others would be. Hopefully Morwen had not said about the discussion we had had before I fainted. She stood in the doorway to get into the main hall and turned when she heard me.

"Feeling better?" She asked me in a half-concerned and half-teasing manner.

"Slightly. Although I do wish to speak to you."

"Of course. I'm guessing it's about 'You-know-who'," she said, winking.

I sighed, "Yes, it is. And I hope you will respect my wishes for you to not say anything to anyone else about last night, thank you."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

"Good." I led her to a small room in which I let out all of my inner feelings. She was quite shocked to see me get so worked up about something like this. To be honest, she looked extremely uncomfortable and didn't really know how to comfort me. Soon after I had vented out my emotions, she left. I had told her she could leave if she wanted to and so she did, leaving me alone. In isolation with my thoughts.

She had told me that I must have feelings for him else I wouldn't have reacted so strongly upon hearing that he may love me. I felt so twisted and confused. Part of me was saying how I should try and forget about and not go down the tormenting path that is love and romance. But another part was saying how I should risk it and see how he truly feels. I was torn. The only way I would truly know what to do, was to ask him. It seemed though, that I would not have time to do so as I received a message from Eowyn saying that Gandalf and Pippin were riding out to Gondor and I would be travelling with a large collection of Rohirric soldiers to Minas Tirith. I knew what that meant.

There would be war. Death would be almost unavoidable.

**Thanks for reading! Sorry for such a short chapter but I wasn't really sure how to write this scene and so kept it fairly short and sweet. I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless!**

**KiliTheDwarf7 :)x**


	7. War Is Coming

Idrial's POV:

We were going to war with the armies of Mordor. My heart raced as I ran to the main hall, hoping to find Legolas there. I needed to open up to him before it was too late.

"Ah, Idrial! There you are!" King Theoden called as he saw me entering the room, "I was just hoping to find you."

"I see. You wouldn't have seen Legolas anywhere, by any chance, My Lord?"

"He is outside tending to the horses before we leave shortly."

"Thank you, I'm afraid I must go and speak to him before we leave. It is of high importance."

"Very well, but I do wish for you to train for the battle that shall come."

"Of course, My Lord." I bowed my head slightly and left the hall. Running down the steps, I saw the large gate allowing people access to Edoras was open. I walked through and turned to my left where the stable was. Legolas was grooming his horse and speaking to her softly in Elvish.

"Legolas? May I talk to you quickly?" I asked him in an unsure tone. After all, this is a pretty scary thing to do!

"Of course, Idrial. I hope you are feeling better after last night."

"Oh, yes I am, thank you. Um, that's sort of what I wanted to talk to you about. Well, after we danced to Merry and Pippin's song I went to speak with Morwen and she told me something and I need to know if it is true or not."

"What did she say?"

"It was about you. And me. She was suggesting that you had feelings for me and she judged it by the way she has apparently seen you look at me and I just need to know if what she says is true because if it is then everything's going to change and-" I was cut off by Legolas who leaned in and kissed me. I lifted my arms to wrap around his neck. We deepened the kiss and I didn't want to let go of him. Knowing that we'd soon have to stop, we slowly pulled away from one another. I smiled up at him and blushed lightly. I hadn't realised how much I wanted that kiss.

It was perfect.

Our little moment of perfection soon ended as we heard Theoden shouting to his men that we'd be saddling up and leaving for Minas Tirith. I fixed myself so that it did not show that Legolas and I had kissed. I definitely didn't want Morwen to be teasing me about it for the whole journey. That would be painful. Excruciatingly painful.

Night had fallen upon us and we camped by an entrance to a cave. This cave was the entrance to the Paths of the Dead. Due to Aragorn's lineage, King Theoden asked him to try his luck and request the King of the Dead's allegiance in our battle against Mordor. He had not allowed me to enter with Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli and, to be honest, neither of them were overly keen on the idea. I was therefore stuck with the soldiers.

Sparring became tiring quickly and I resorted to target practise. I owned a set of throwing knives but did not practise nearly enough as I should. Waiting for the three to return was a worrying situation. The King of the Dead would only grant his allegiance to the King of Gondor and he could very easily decide that Aragorn was lying, even if he wasn't.

Far off in the distance I heard the deathly noise of orcs. I could not see them but I heard the sounds of death. Whether it was theirs or a victims, I did not know. I stared at the tree I had marked with a cross across its middle and lowered my body into a hunting stance and launched one of knives straight into the centre of the cross. I straightened myself slowly and turned to see Hadhod standing there.

"Good evening, Master Dwarf," I nodded to him.

"For an elf, your aim's not half bad."

I smirked at his comment, "Thanks."

"Theoden sent me to fetch you. He does not believe you should be out here alone."

"Well I'm not alone right now. You're here." He turned to leave and so I followed him, knowing that sooner or later I would have to go back to the camp.

It felt strange to not see Gimli, Legolas or Aragorn. Like I was missing a part of me. It had become normality to see them each and every night but now, they were stuck inside the Paths of the Dead and who knew what would happen to them in there. To be perfectly honest, I did not envy them at this point but it would have been nice to go there with them. I did not like to be separated from Legolas after the kiss in Edoras. We had not had the chance to talk about everything to one another before he left for the Paths. I want to get all of these feelings off my chest. I simply can't though. I can't tell Morwen or Eowyn because it's highly doubtful that either of them would be able to offer me any advice. None of the others there would help me either. I needed to speak with Legolas and only Legolas.

Hopefully we would not run out of time before that could happen.

**Thanks for reading! Sorry for not updating in the past couple of days but I have been extremely busy with prep for a science exam and a french exam. I hope you are enjoying the story and please go check out my other fanfic, Don't Leave!**

**KiliTheDwarf7 :)x**


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